February 2022

Finding flow, a new Thursday morning class and a new Yoga Nidra for you to try at home

How is your February unfolding?

The Celtic festival  of Imbolc arrived on 1^st February, marking the beginning of Spring.  Although not all the signs of Spring are here yet, there’s a feeling in the air of new life stirring beneath the ground.  Just as we can trust that the ground will support us when we lie upon it, we can trust that the new life of Spring will arrive. 

Coming onto the yoga mat we can tap into the life-force that moves through everything in the material world (known in yoga as ‘shakti’).  We have a choice – to try to bend the world to fit with our own personal desires or aversions, or to surrender to the flow of ‘iccha shakti’ – the will of the universe. 

Trying to shape the world from our personal viewpoint is a struggle.  However much energy and passion we put into things, if our actions are not in flow with the world around us, that energy and passion will burn out.  Have you ever tried to make something happen and felt like you were pushing against a closed door?

Sometimes we act from a mental construct of how we think the world should be or how we think we should be within the world.  An alternative is to be available and open to the will of the universe – allowing events to unfold, riding the wave.  This isn’t about being passive, but requires an inner listening, without expectation of a particular outcome.  When we practice yoga we begin to surrender to iccha shakti simply with the release of a breath.  And just as we can trust that the ground will support us, we can trust that we can find that flow to drop into. 

A new in-person class on Thursday morning

I’m very pleased to say that from Thursday, 24^th February, 9.30am to 11.00am, I’ll be Zooming and teaching an in-person class in St Peter’s Hall, (the Catholic Church on Tamworth Road, just around the corner from The Tree of Life).  My morning classes have been busy of late and I thought it would be useful to have another morning option.  So if you find other classes are full or if Thursday is a good day for you, it’d be great to see you there.  You can book your space here.

Thursday is Yoga Nidra day

For the last three or four months I’ve been sharing a yoga nidra at the end of my Thursday morning and Thursday evening class.  Nidra means sleep…It’s a guided practice, like a guided meditation, that takes us into the state of consciousness that we move into just before we drop off into sleep or just before we wake up.  It’s a very restful state for the mind and the body.

I have a couple of Nidra recordings on my website for you to try and I’ve just uploaded a new one, which you can find here.

Saturday morning yoga

A few people have mentioned that they prefer to practice on a Saturday morning rather than a Saturday afternoon, so I’ve moved my weekend yoga workshops at Upper Beeding and Bramber Village Hall to the morning.  The next couple of dates are:

• Saturday, 26^th February, 10am to 1pm
• Saturday, 26^th March, 9.30am to 12.30pm

It’s great to have a full three hours to practice together – as you’ll probably know I always feel like I’ve run out of time in a weekday class!  The body often takes time to soften and open, so having extra time to explore our practice further is always a treat.   If you’d like to join me you can book your space here.

Upper Beeding is only a 15 minute drive from Hove and there’s plenty of parking.  If transport is an issue please get in touch and I can co-ordinate a lift for you.

Sending love and best wishes for a fruitful 2022,

Jo